Quick Interview With Anthony, Seminarian

I mentioned in a previous blog post about the reality of a small handful of my Catholic friends have gone and pursued religious vocations and Catholic priesthood.  Each of them have their own unique discernment journeys.  I thought it would be cool to ask some quick questions of one of the new seminarians I hinted at in that previous blog post.

Anthony Vecchio graduated from high school last year and spent this past year at community college while furthering his discernment towards diocesan priesthood.  Last year, my parish started hosting "Discernment Nights" whereby interested individuals could come and listen to consecrated or ordained members of the Church talk about their vocation story, and this also provided opportunities for interested participants to ask questions.  I met Anthony via one of our Discernment Nights, even though he's not from my own parish.  I later found out that he kept a Catholic blog around the same time I started really getting into my own blog.

His blog is Purely Catholic.  And I like reading his posts because he offers an often thorough examination of reflections, Church teachings, and commentary on various things.  I learn from his own knowledge and reflections, and it boggles my mind because most freshly graduated guys don't utter theology from the lips of their fingers to the level that Anthony conveys in his blog.  Check it out!

And so, again, I thought it would be cool to ask Anthony some quick questions and catch him before he moves to Holy Trinity Seminary.

First of all, since I know we both share appreciation in band nerdery, who is your favorite drum corps and why? And what was your most favorite high school marching band performance (whether your own or another band's)?

My favorite drum corps is hands down Carolina Crown. Their brass sound is impeccably beautiful and massive, and their shows are very quirky and nuanced. Like a bunch of Godzillas performing Swan Lake as they dance around the skyscrapers of downtown Tokyo. Yeah. As for my favorite high school marching band performance... I would say Richland's BOA San Antonio performance from this year. I am utterly amazed at the progress that they have been making with so many director changes. I'm very proud of them!

I've always wondered...why is your blog called "Purely Catholic"? What is the significance/motivation for it?

I'm pretty sure my blog title is "Purely Catholic" because that's the only semi-profound sounding thing that wasn't already taken. In retrospect, I could've done something snazzy like "Anthony's super-dee-duper, awesome, and totally readable blog", but I think that would confuse people. Because, legitimately, I read some of my old stuff sometimes and I have no idea what I'm saying. Said. Whatever. In short, just like Albert Camus' great meaning of life, there is no significance or motivation. It is absurd.

Are you active in any ministry or ministries?  What are they and why do you participate in them?

For a while (a year or so), I was an extraordinary minister at Good Shepherd. That was a wonderful experience. But the bulk of my donated time is eclectic in nature. I just do whatever people tell me to do, and try not to explode everything in the process. Some speaking events, some shoulder-rubbing events, some praying events, etc. It's fulfilling.

Just out of curiosity, who is your Confirmation saint and why did you choose that saint? Any other personal favorites?

My Confirmation saint is St. Anthony. Which is, (I bet you can't guess!) my Baptismal saint. I got very riled up in the process of selecting a Confirmation saint, but I discerned that God was calling me back to the basics. He does that a lot, because I'm mostly insane. As far as personal favorites go: St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Maximus [the] Confessor and St. Therese of Lisieux.

Most guys don't graduate from high school wanting to join a religious order or enter seminary to become a priest.  What sparked your interest in pursuing such a vocation?

In Mother Church, God chooses you! But as far as particulars go, I was most moved by USCCB's "Fisher's of Men" documentary. That moved me deeply--and really it was just a continuation of my sudden realization that I am called to be a saint (lower case "s"). God commands, not suggests but commands, us to love him and others as He has loved us. The most human response is "how is that? How will I take up my own cross?" When we see something profound, our hearts are moved ever so slightly, and we notice it every so slightly. But such a small movement can create a domino effect if the conditions are right, and following the trail of dominoes is like finding out what your vocation is.

What does your daily prayer life look like?

My daily prayer life, like my volunteer time, is very eclectic. Some days I read from my St. Alphonsus de Liguori collection (also a favorite saint) or my St. Therese of Lisieux collection, some days I meditate on Christ's life, or what is means for Christ to have lived the way he did, or who Christ was, and what that has to do with the Church, and why the Church is his Body, etc. Some days I just read straight up from sacred Scriptures, and some days I just stare in silence at the crucifix on my wall. In all my prayer and studies and musings, I've learned one thing: God is love. Such a statement is inexhaustible in expression, but those expressions nevertheless revolve around the axis of God who is love.

How often do you attend Daily Mass, Confession, and Adoration (if at all)?

I unfortunately do not own a vehicle, and I typically cannot use my parents' except on Saturday, so transportation is a hard thing for me. It is once in a blue moon that I go to Mass outside of the times my family goes. I go to Adoration at the very least once a month when I go to Confession. I sometimes am able to go more than once.

Since we know you're purely Catholic and entering seminary soon, what does "putting your faith into action" mean to you?

"Putting your faith into action" means nothing more or less than to love one another. Such a statement is simple, yet elegant. That is the commandment that Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another (Jn 13:34). We should love one another for the reason that we have been first loved by God into existence, and are being held there by that same love. True freedom consists of the ability to give oneself away in total self-donation at will, and this is the freedom that is so sought after by myself and all people. It is not a freedom stemming from isolation from other people, or a freedom stemming from human power, but a freedom enthroned in love; a love with a gravity so magnificent that it pulls people of all races, ages, places, and pasts into a single Church; a gravity that splits the veil of time and crushes death under its heels; where the life that Christ gave up is received by us, and we are made as if new. This faith in action is a powerful thing. If it is lived out as it ought to, it truly sets people and the world "en fuego". It demands the entire self, it is relentless, and unfettered. It is the fulfillment and calling of every person, and it demands every person--just as it deems every person willed, loved, and necessary. Faith in action is to love one another, even as Christ has loved you--that is, totally, fully, and really.

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Gal 2:20)

IC XC NIKA

Anthony Vecchio

I ask for your prayers on behalf of Anthony for his continual discernment towards diocesan priesthood.

St. John Vianney, patron saint of priests, ora pro nobis!
- JD

One of the realities of being Catholic...

...is having really Catholic friends. But not just Catholic friends...rather, Catholic friends who end up being totally radical.

Multiple Math puns

And when I say "radical," I mean that in the "rooted" AND "departing from social norms" sense of the word.

Truly, a small handful of my Catholic friends have decided to live radical Catholic lives in pursuing a religious life of some sort. It's radical because your average person (and average Catholic...average Christian) doesn't consider dropping his or her current lifestyles in order to pursue a life lacking material, wealth, and seeking self. It's also radical because they can now live a really rooted Catholic life living an expression of the Catholic faith in community with others in the service of others.

When I graduated from college, some good acquaintances and friends from my college parish....

...joined the Apostles of the Interior Life.

...became a Jesuit to further pursue becoming an ordained Jesuit priest.

...entered seminaries in various dioceses.

(but that is just a mere taste of Aggie Catholics pursuing radical Catholic lives)

And just in the past few years that I've gotten really involved with my parish and getting to know some individuals...

...one of my young adult friends joined the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal.

...two of my young adult friends will be joining the Franciscans of the Immaculate...the friars and sisters, respectively.

...three young men from my brother's high school class (different high schools) are going to the local seminary to further discern their call to the Catholic priesthood...though all three start(ed) at different times.

...I reconnected with a high school band alum who is several years older than me, and he was up in New York as a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal. Now he is discerning to be a diocesan priest and will be entering seminary sometime.

And these decisions to pursue such religious vocations, as we call it, do not come easily.  They all took time discerning what is God calling them to do with their lives, and they have freely and willingly answered this call after much prayer and guidance.

As Catholics, we celebrate joyfully the answering of this call to the religious life or priesthood primarily because it would be serving God in the way He intends; in the way He has called each of these individuals to live.  We share our joy in their joy.

So, why do I even care that I face the reality that my some of my Catholic friends are all like..."yo, I'mma be a brutha/sista!" or all like... "Dominus vobiscum!"? Simply because of their joy and youthful fervor in the Catholic faith. I also highly respect them for making such a life-altering decision to follow God's call in their respective ways, which go against the social norms.

And focusing on that youthful part...sometimes it is tempting to think of the Catholic Church as a bunch of old priests and greyhairs who sit in the front pew at Mass (and Daily Mass) or the angry nun with the witch-like voice and armed with a ruler, but that is simply not what I see and observe in real life.  All those individuals I mentioned above range from ages 18 to early 30's and are far from those stereotypes.  Hmm...the young Church...praise God that our 2000-year old faith comes alive through the youth of today because she is alive in Christ!

In an effort to humbly brag about some of these individuals and to convey a sense of their stories and personalities, I may highlight them further in my blog. Hopefully I can catch them before they move on towards their friaries, seminaries, and convents!

I ask for your prayers for vocations, especially for those I have mentioned above.  Thanks and God bless!

*90's voice* ...Radical!
- JD

Young Men Choosing the Priesthood

I saw an article being shared by, lol, a friend who is discerning religious life.  Ya know, with the vows and robe-like garb.

Some highlights:

...the number of men joining the priesthood is up.

And who is joining might surprise you. 

Brett Metzler bench presses 250 pounds, squats 305, and can shoot hoops with the best of them.

And he's quoted in saying:

 "There's a month when I was really excited to become a priest. And then just normal guy stuff kicks in.  I mean you want to get a girlfriend.  You're in college and there's thousands of beautiful women everywhere.  I mean you want to get a girlfriend, you want to get married.  I thought I was going to have hundreds of kids for my family with play with when I got older.  But the more you pray about it, the more time you spend in silence, the more God kind of reinforces that call."

You can read more here, "More Young Men Choosing Priesthood" by Tracy Kornet at CBS 11 DFW.

Watch the video too!


And oh yes, I am slightly biased in a non-Catholic way--Brett is an Aggie.

I think it's too easy to forget that Catholic priests and those wanting to become priests are just normal guys.  Just, they have obediently, freely, willingly decided to answer a call from God in this special way to serve in a special way.

I know some guys from my own church who are wanting to become priests and they are, in fact, just normal guys but striving to fulfill this call.  I'll blog about 'em sometime as well as my sisterly friends at my church who have also answered this call to live a religious life.  Also, Texas A&M seems to be a hotbed of religious vocations too...but that's another blog post, as well.

#Vocations,
- JD

Medal of Honor

I was riding in my carpool on the way home from work yesterday when we noticed that an upcoming overpass had firetrucks with lights flashing and a giant American flag waving from its slightly extended ladder.  Ehhh???  And subsequent overpasses had some sort of public servant representation and/or American flag waving.

Now, I remember seeing such a thing last year.  Every. Single. Overpass. Filled with firetrucks or police.  And I-35 was lined with spectators.  This time around...not as much...perhaps because everyone was still gathering.

Last year, I concluded that the Patriot Guard were roused due to a military funeral.  And that explained the ginormous motorcade that we passed by last year.  This year, when I got dropped off at my car in Denton, I noticed in my rearview mirror the same ginormous motorcade.  Such a loud roar of the motorcycles!

After getting home last night, my carpool's driver wrote on my Wall that this gathering of public servants and motorcade was for the Medal of Honor recipients for this year.

The city of Gainesville, TX is the only city in the nation that hosts Medal of Honor recipients in a special way.  You can visit this program here. Lots of honor, fanfare, and patriotism.  And it's crazy to me that the little town I work in ... is kind of a big deal.

Anyway, I bring this up because today President Obama awarded, posthumously, Chaplain and Captain Emil J. Kapaun of the U.S. Army the Congressional Medal of Honor:

I've been hearing about Fr. Kapaun on Catholic radio over the past few weeks in anticipation of him receiving this honor.  And wow.  I don't know that I could give proper credit to his acts of valor, courage, bravery, humility, service, etc...But President Obama summarizes some of his efforts, and some articles I've linked below also highlight who the type of man Fr. Kapaun is:

"For God and Country" - National Catholic Register

"Emil Kapaun, who ministered to Korean War POWs, to receive posthumous medal" - The Washington Post


"Medal of Honor: Chaplain Kapaun’s Heroism Feted Today" - Time

Fr. Kapaun, in addition to receiving this honor, also has an open case for beatification, a part of the process in being recognized as a Catholic saint.

I want to read the book, The Miracle of Father Kapaun, to get to know more about him.  Wartime seems to bring about Catholic saints (though he is not recognized as one yet...) because it is a grave time of adversity and even in all that hell, a little bit of heaven can be found (thought I heard Obama say something like that...).  I was intrigued by St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross from World War II and their stories.  Both died in Nazi concentration camps.  And here we have Fr. Kapaun who died in a POW camp during the Korean War.  Hmm...

Anyway, I think it's cool and awesome that a Catholic priest received this Medal of Honor.  But at the same time, I want to thank all men and women who served in our military and I'm really grateful for their service.  And as I've been reading and listening to veterans who have had personal interactions with Fr. Kapaun...they are really grateful for his service to them.

Kapaun swag.
- JD